This is a discussion on Ford To Withdraw From WRC ? within the Motorsports Talk forums, part of the Community - Meet other Enthusiasts category; WRC: Ford's rally future in question.
Although the factory-backed M-Sport team has started work on an S2000-class Fiesta--which would form ...

Ford To Withdraw From WRC ?

WRC: Ford's rally future in question.
Although the factory-backed M-Sport team has started work on an S2000-class Fiesta--which would form the basis of the next generation of a Ford World Rally car--the company has yet to commit to spending the funds needed to develop and run the car as a factory program. If Ford quits, then M-Sport would have the option to run the Fiesta as a private team on a commercial basis.

At a rallies commission meeting in Paris last week, Ford was not able to commit one way or another to next year's championship.

CitroŽn--the only other manufacturer in this year's WRC--is also reluctant to commit so far, pending the decision of both Ford and CitroŽn's star driver Sťbastien Loeb about their futures in the sport.

A source at the meeting said: "As things stand at the moment, neither of the two manufacturers have firmly committed for 2010, which is extremely worrying. But when [FIA president] Max Mosley said that he thought the WRC should become a sport for private teams, maybe he saw this coming."

Publicly, CitroŽn insists that it is "likely" to continue in the WRC beyond the end of this year, but it has not issued an official statement confirming the its commitment.

The only positive I can possibly think of with respect to no works teams left to compete for the major events is that locals in private or semi-works teams can now contest their "home" events. This is analogous to what happens when an event is omitted from the calendar for a year and the works teams don't bother enrolling.

What this means is that an Italian might win the San Remo, a Greek the Acropolis, a Kenyan the Safari, and so on. I'd include an Englishman winning the RAC and a Finn winning the 1000 Lakes but those rallies no longer exist under those names -- another instance of money winning over taste.

FIA won. They've been trying to kill rallying as the most popular motorsport in the world since 1986 and they finally succeeded.

WRX Info Links, Courtesy TheJMan is a brute.... If you're cruel to him, he respects and fears you. If you're kind to him, he plucks your eyes out. Alexis ZorbasI lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again - I would. Benjamin Sisko
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed are the author's alone and are inherently worthless.

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